"We Are All Hindus Now"# 3

"The Rig Veda, the most ancient Hindu scripture, says this: 'Truth is
One, but the sages speak of it by many names.' A Hindu believes there
are many paths to God. Jesus is one way, the Qur'n is another, yoga
practice is a third. None is better than any other; all are equal.
The most traditional, conservative Christians have not been taught to
think like this. They learn in Sunday school that their religion is
true, and others are false. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the father except through me.'"

Lisa Miller

We Are All Hindus Now
By Lisa Miller | NEWSWEEK
Published Aug 15, 2009

America is not a Christian nation. We are, it is true, a nation
founded by Christians, and according to a 2008 survey, 76 percent of
us continue to identify as Christian (still, that's the lowest
percentage in American history). Of course, we are not a Hindu—or
Muslim, or Jewish, or Wiccan—nation, either. A million-plus Hindus
live in the United States, a fraction of the billion who live on
Earth. But recent poll data show that conceptually, at least, we are
slowly becoming more like Hindus and less like traditional Christians
in the ways we think about God, our selves, each other, and eternity.

The Rig Veda, the most ancient Hindu scripture, says this: 'Truth is
One, but the sages speak of it by many names.' A Hindu believes there
are many paths to God. Jesus is one way, the Qur'n is another, yoga
practice is a third. None is better than any other; all are equal.
The most traditional, conservative Christians have not been taught to
think like this. They learn in Sunday school that their religion is
true, and others are false. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the father except through me.'

Americans are no longer buying it. According to a 2008 Pew Forum
survey, 65 percent of us believe that 'many religions can lead to
eternal life'—including 37 percent of white evangelicals, the group
most likely to believe that salvation is theirs alone. Also, the
number of people who seek spiritual truth outside church is growing.
Thirty percent of Americans call themselves 'spiritual, not
religious,' according to a 2009 NEWSWEEK Poll, up from 24 percent in
2005. Stephen Prothero, religion professor at Boston University, has
long framed the American propensity for 'the divine-deli-cafeteria
religion' as 'very much in the spirit of Hinduism. You're not picking
and choosing from different religions, because they're all the same,'
he says. 'It isn't about orthodoxy. It's about whatever works. If
going to yoga works, great—and if going to Catholic mass works,
great. And if going to Catholic mass plus the yoga plus the Buddhist
retreat works, that's great, too.'

Then there's the question of what happens when you die. Christians
traditionally believe that bodies and souls are sacred, that together
they comprise the 'self,' and that at the end of time they will be
reunited in the Resurrection. You need both, in other words, and you
need them forever. Hindus believe no such thing. At death, the body
burns on a pyre, while the spirit—where identity resides—escapes. In
reincarnation, central to Hinduism, selves come back to earth again
and again in different bodies. So here is another way in which
Americans are becoming more Hindu: 24 percent of Americans say they
believe in reincarnation, according to a 2008 Harris poll. So
agnostic are we about the ultimate fates of our bodies that we're
burning them—like Hindus—after death. More than a third of Americans
now choose cremation, according to the Cremation Association of North
America, up from 6 percent in 1975. 'I do think the more spiritual
role of religion tends to deemphasize some of the more starkly
literal interpretations of the Resurrection,' agrees Diana Eck,
professor of comparative religion at Harvard. So let us all say 'om.'"

http://www.newsweek.com/id/212155

We are all Hindus now—Revisited

"We are all Hindus now."

That was the headline of a noted essay that appeared in 2009 in Time Magazine, and it's well worth reflecting on as Canadians of all backgrounds are increasingly drawn to the annual South Asian festival of Diwali.

North Americans have not, we know, openly converted en masse to Hinduism — even if Elizabeth Gilbert's book about exploring Indian mysticism, Eat, Pray, Love, has become a hugely popular movie, and the lead actress, Julia Roberts, declared this fall she is Hindu.

But it is remarkable how Hindu beliefs, metaphysics and practices have quietly and thoroughly become integrated into North American culture in the past couple of decades — almost as if by stealth. Or osmosis.

For instance, Canada, especially the West Coast, has witnessed the rise of hundreds, if not thousands, of yoga studios, meditation centres, vegetarian restaurants and ayurvedic health spas, all of which could be said to have roots in Hinduism.

The key Hindu teaching about reincarnation, as well, is now accepted by 30 per cent of all Canadians, including 37 per cent of Canadian women, according to a recent Leger poll.

Hindu meditation philosophy has also gone mainstream through best-selling spiritual teachers like Deepak Chopra and Vancouver's Eckhart Tolle, the author of The Power of Now.

In addition, a Pew Forum poll found that two out of three Americans now reject the theologically conservative Christian teaching that there is only one way to heaven, or salvation.

Most North Americans, even while declaring themselves "Christian" or "Jewish" or "secular," are signing onto the long-held Hindu attitude there are many authentic roads to spiritual truth.

It can't be claimed that Diwali, the autumn "festival of lights" that officially kicks off Friday at temples, is the main vehicle by which Hindu ideas and practices are becoming assimilated across North America.

Still, growing acceptance among non-South Indian Canadians, especially among school children in urban centres such as Toronto and Vancouver, may have contributed to the quiet trend.

As most Canadians know, Diwali is celebrated not only by Hindus, but in different ways by Sikhs and Jains of South Asian heritage.

And one of the many reasons Hinduism tends to be overshadowed in B.C. is that the province has four times more Sikhs than Hindus. Yet, across Canada, there are slightly more Hindus (roughly 360,000) than Sikhs (about 340,000).

Hinduism's unusually low profile in Canada is furthered by the fact Sikhs share many teaching with Hindus; both promote reincarnation, karma, cremation and the belief time is cyclical rather than linear. Both teach the soul is continually reborn in different bodies.

Yet, compared to Sikhism, Hinduism is a much older, much larger and much more geographically and philosophically diverse religion. Compared to Sikhism, Hinduism has had a much wider impact on the planet (including by indirectly giving birth to Buddhism).

What is the biggest reason most North Americans fail to recognize there is truth in the provocative statement: "We're all Hindus now?"

It's simple: The religion is often not given credit where it is due. To put it another way, Hinduism is being plagiarized.

The co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation

Suhag Shukla
Shukla charges that most North Americans stereotype Hinduism as being about 'caste, cows and curry.' As a result, she maintains everyone from Eckhart Tolle to fitness teachers routinely act as if things like yoga and reincarnation have next to nothing to do with Hinduism.

How exactly does this intellectual theft occur? Many North Americans who market or teach what are in essence Hindu beliefs or practices often call them something else, such as "Ancient Indian," "Vedic," "yogic" or even "universal."

Shukla says none of these euphemistic labels for describing Hindu-based practices are actually wrong, but they're still misleading.

"Without a nod to their Hindu origins, this de-linking disenfranchises admitted Hindus of recognition and appreciation for the breadth and depth of their faith," Shukla writes.

She has a point. It's time to give proper credit as South Asian Hindus continue to take a larger role in everyday Canadian life, as Diwali becomes mainstream in Metro Vancouver, as yoga and meditation become firmly established and as more North Americans begin to concur with the foundational teaching of Hinduism's Rig Veda:

The title of the article will probably turn off most non-Hindus. I am
a Hindu and if an article started with "We are all Christians", my
ability to reason and rationalize would take a hit right there, no
matter the merit of the ensuing content. Especially on a topic as
sensitive as personal faith.

My belief is any religion that boxes you into a frame of mind that
allows no freedom of thought cannot lead you to enlightenment or
salvation. The greatest asset of Hinduism is despite all the rituals
and traditions, it allows me incredible freedom to think. It does not
make me any less a Hindu because I decide not to worship plants or
the sun. I am allowed to disagree and encouraged to think for myself.
Regardless of what religion you belong to, if you have the same
freedom to "thiink" rather than always being told to follow, you're
on the right path.

Look at this planet, it is an incredibly complex ecosystem
constructed out of nothing more than atoms that bind differently. And
this planet of ours probably does not even figure in the grand scheme
of things when you think about the universe and the mind-boggling
complexity that makes up void, matter and everything in between.
Think about the incredible beauty and complexity just within our solar
system and about the limitless array of elements that come together
in ways our brains cannot even begin to comprehend.

Do you really think this incredibly magnificent complexity of the
universe and everything within it can be boiled down to the human
concept of heaven and hell present in each religion? Hinduism allows
me to ask that question and seek the answer without labelling me a
traitor. I hope your religion does too and if it does, we belong to
the same religion whatever you name it and whatever God you worship.
Posted By: dsivrv @ 08/18/2009 4:47:09 PM

I agree completely. Hinduism has given me an inquiring mind. I don't
worry if other people have different beliefs, because I am not boxed
in myself. I have no need to convert other people, and I can
celebrate Christmas and Eid and go back to my temple and pray. It is
a wonderful way to live.
Posted By: pi31415 @ 08/18/2009 3:26:07 PM

I remember reading a news article in the mid 90s in India (apologies
but the exact details escape me - perhaps someone can help). To
summarise, the government of the southern state of Kerala had just
dismissed the trustees of a famous temple for financial impropriety
and taken over its administration for an interim period. Now Kerala
was being ruled by a Communist government at the time. So the
trustees lodged a case in the High Court to appeal against their
dismissal, on the grounds that a government that doesn't believe in
God couldn't justifiably take over the administration of a Hindu
temple. The High Court promptly threw the case out, stating that
nowhere in Hinduism is it stated that you have to believe in God to
be considered a Hindu.

What's interesting is not just the judgement, but what then happened,
or rather, what did not happen... life went on! Nowhere were there
any protests against this decision as the people understood the
inherent validity of this argument. It made me feel very proud of my
religion, my country and the innate wisdom of the common Indian.How Should We View Death and Dying?( The American hindu monk says)

Our soul never dies; only the physical body dies. We neither fear
death nor look forward to it, but revere it as a most exalted
experience. Life, death and the afterlife are all part of our path to
perfect oneness with God. Aum.

Bhashya
For Hindus, death is nobly referred to as mahaprasthana," the great
journey." When the lessons of this life have been learned and karmas
reach a point of intensity, the soul leaves the physical body, which
then returns its elements to the earth. The awareness, will, memory
and intelligence which we think of as ourselves continue to exist in
the soul body. Death is a most natural experience, not to be feared.
It is a quick transition from the physical world to the astral plane,
like walking through a door, leaving one room and entering another.
Knowing this, we approach death as a sadhana, as a spiritual
opportunity, bringing a level of detachment which is difficult to
achieve in the tumult of life and an urgency to strive more than ever
in our search for the Divine Self. To be near a realized soul at the
time he or she gives up the body yields blessings surpassing those of
a thousand and eight visits to holy persons at other times. The Vedas
explain," As a caterpillar coming to the end of a blade of grass
draws itself together in taking the next step, so does the soul in
the process of transition strike down this body and dispel its
ignorance." Aum Namah Sivaya.

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/study/mc/todays_lesson.shtml How Do Hindus Understand Karma?

Karma literally means "deed or act" and more broadly names the
universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction which
governs all life. Karma is a natural law of the mind, just as gravity
is a law of matter. Aum.

Bhashya
Karma is not fate, for man acts with free will, creating his own
destiny. The Vedas tell us, if we sow goodness, we will reap
goodness; if we sow evil, we will reap evil. Karma refers to the
totality of our actions and their concomitant reactions in this and
previous lives, all of which determines our future. It is the
interplay between our experience and how we respond to it that makes
karma devastating or helpfully invigorating. The conquest of karma
lies in intelligent action and dispassionate reaction. Not all karmas
rebound immediately. Some accumulate and return unexpectedly in this
or other births. The several kinds of karma are: personal, family,
community, national, global and universal. Ancient rishis perceived
personal karma's three-fold edict. The first is sanchita, the sum
total of past karmas yet to be resolved. The second is prarabdha,
that portion of sanchita to be experienced in this life. Kriyamana,
the third type, is karma we are currently creating. The Vedas
propound," Here they say that a person consists of desires. And as is
his desire, so is his will. As is his will, so is his deed. Whatever
deed he does, that he will reap." Aum Namah Sivaya.

The Spirit-Paraclete

“The Self is the Spirit. This Spirit resides in the heart of every human being and is in a witness-like state. The Spirit is the projection of God Almighty, while the Kundalini is the projection of the power of God, of His desire which is the Primordial Mother, or you can call it Adi Shakti, Holy Ghost or Athena. So the Kundalini is the projection of the Holy Ghost, while the Spirit is the projection of God Almighty. The All-pervading Power of love is the power of the Primordial Mother, which creates and evolves, and does all the living work."- Shri Mataji Nirmal Devi
"Chopra: Deep stuff or New Age fluff?

ST. PETERSBURG

Motivational guru Deepak Chopra believes he provides answers for a new age, teaching his international body of followers that the key to solving problems is to seek God within. Chopra's philosophy, zealously marketed through books, seminars and tapes, has won him legions of fans...

"There is no guilt in his system. There is no need for remorse or anything like that. It is not like you have to stop sinning (or) you have to clean up your act. There are no commandments," John Morreall, professor of religious studies at USF, said of Chopra's teachings."People want easy, digestible stuff that doesn't require them to change their life, and any way you can package that will be successful," Morreall added.

In fact, a sell-out crowd is expected Monday when Chopra makes an appearance at the Mahaffey Theater, said the Rev. Joan Pinkston, minister at the Center for Positive Living, which is sponsoring his visit.

She said this is the third time her church, at 5200 29th Ave. N, has brought Chopra to Tampa Bay.

"He is so popular and he does bring a universal message of truth for those who are ready to hear it," Pinkston said. "He brings it to the masses who are unchurched and who may never capture that message other than through the secular community.”

In a telephone interview, Chopra, who was born in India, said he prefers to be thought of as spiritual rather than religious."The founders of religion were universal beings," he said. "But at some point it developed dogma and ideology and unfortunately we have had more anguish and more war and more hatred and more bigotry and more suffering in the name of religion than in every other name... I like to think of myself as seeking spirituality, which is the basis of religion. God gave humans the truth, and the devil came and he said, 'Let's give it a name and call it religion.'"

Chopra, whose teachings are based in part on the Vedantas, the sacred writings that are the root of Hinduism, added that it often is said that God created man in his own image." I think it is the other way. Man created God in his own image," he said. "The image of God is usually a dead white man in the sky. That is just an image. It is not satisfactory. Why can't God be black or a woman? ... All the conflict in the world is because we have different images of God. God is beyond image. As soon as you create an image about God, you limit God."But, he said, that is what defines most religion.

Spirituality is different, giving one the ability to love and have compassion, added Chopra, author of 22 books, including best-sellers Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success and The Pathway to Love. "It is the capacity to experience joy and spread it to others," he said. "It is the security of knowing that your life has meaning and purpose. It is a sense of connection to the creative power of the universe. This creative power of the universe is by various religions called God."In my experience, it is infinite. It is unbounded. It's immanent and transcendent. It is timeless. It expresses itself in the infinite organization of the universe and in the infinite intelligence of the universe.”

And to find God, those caught up in the search must get in touch with what Chopra refers to as "The essence" of their own being. That essence, he explained, is God. And it is within every person, said Chopra, quoting Jesus in the book of John...

And it seems to sell particularly well among intellectuals, Morreall said. For those trying to cope with stressful conditions, Chopra's message finds a ready welcome.

"What Chopra offers is the promise that you will be able to quiet down the noise and you will be able to control your world. And that is immensely appealing," Morreall said.

To members of the Center for Positive Living, part of the Spokane, Wash.-based Religious Science organization, Chopra reaffirms a familiar philosophy.

"With what we teach, we believe in one power and it doesn't matter what you call it, whether it is God, spirit, nature, life," Pinkston said. "It is the ultimate one power. What we believe is true about God is also true about us. The one thing that may separate us from other mainline, traditional religions is that we truly believe that this power that created us is within us and is not something that is outside and separate from us and that it is, yes, greater than we are and that we can use it and we are using it every moment." Chopra's popularity, she said, is based on his universal message.

"Here is a medical doctor who has taught at Tufts University, and he is very well-read. I believe that people are really hungry for the message ... that the soul responds to — that we are divine beings," added Pinkston, a former Baptist who began searching for a new path about 30 years ago.

"We teach the metaphysical, the inner message of Jesus the Christ," Pinkston said. "(Chopra) is teaching the same message. The way he is teaching is that love can renew, heal. Love can make us safe. Love can inspire us and bring us closer to God and that is what we are all searching for, the union of the self and the spirit."...

What morsels of wisdom will he leave with his audience Monday?

"I only want to achieve one thing in that when they leave they will say to themselves there is a lot to think about," he said. "And in some of them it will start a new journey which will radically affect the way they live their life." "

Kitty Bennett, Times researcher, UMI Company 1998PARAA VIDHYAA
THE NOUMENAL STATE OF MAN

In the last chapter, we looked into the phenomenal state of man, as considered
by Shankara. This chapter attempts to study the noumenal state of man. According
to Shankara, man's ultimate destiny does not consist in being caught up in the
phenomenal existence; rather, man is called to live at a depth at which he must
experience the source of the universe within himself. The task of man is not to
search for his ultimate destiny outside, but to move into himself and
discovering the ultimate in the cave of his heart. It is not a new knowledge,
but a realization of what one really is. Paraa vidhyaa, therefore, is nothing
else but a self-realization in which one experiences Brahman (Brahmaanubhava) as
one's own indwelling spirit (Aatman). This chapter deals with the goal, nature
and characteristics of para vidhya.

2.1.1. THE GOAL OF PARAA VIDHYAA

The goal of para vidhya is Brahman, the ultimate universal spirit behind the
universe and Aatman, the ultimate principle in the individual. Only when one has
true knowledge about both Brahman and Aatman, can one begin to experience the
oneness between these two. In this section, we will clarify these two notions,
in preparation for the analysis of the nature of para vidhya.

2.1.1. BRAHMAN

The word 'Brahman'[1] is derived from the Sanskrit root 'brih' which literally
means 'to gush forth', 'to grow', 'to be great', and 'to increase'. The suffix
'man' added to the root 'brih' signifies the absence of limitation. Thus, the
term 'Brahman' etymologically means that which is absolutely the greatest.[2] So
'Brahman' denotes"that first ... reality from which the entire universe of our
experience has sprung up."[3] In the words of the Vedaanta-Suutras," Brahman is
that omniscient, omnipotent cause from which proceeds the origin of the
world."[4] Thus, the term 'Brahman' signifies the absolute and ultimate reality
which is the substratum and the foundation of the world we know, and on which
everything depends for its existence. Brahman is self-sufficient and does not
depend on anything else for its existence. Hence it must be spiritual entity,
since matter is not self-sufficient, limited and subject to change. George
Thibault, in his introduction to the Vedaanta-Suutraas, says that whatever
exists is in reality one, and this one universal being is called Brahman. This
being is absolutely homogeneous in nature; it is pure Being, Intelligence and
Thought. Intelligence or thought is not predicated of Brahman as its attribute,
but constitutes its substance. Brahman is not a thinking being, but thought
itself. It is absolutely destitute of qualities and whatever qualities or
attributes are conceivable can only be denied of it.[5] Thus, Brahman is
without qualities (nirguna), beyond the order of our empirical and worldly
experience. We cannot grasp Brahman with our empirical experiences, since the
being of Brahman is necessary for anything to exist, and even for the
possibility of empirical experience. In other words, Brahman is a priori and
cannot be grasped by a posteriori or limited experience.

Because of our inability to grasp the true nature of Brahman, whatever positive
description is developed about Brahman will remain in the level of phenomenal
experience, and Brahman is beyond all phenomena. That is why we find contrary
characteristics attributed to Brahman. In Brhadaaranyaka Upanishad, we read that
Brahman is "light and not light, desire and absence of desire, anger and absence
of anger, righteousness and absence of righteousness."[6] Kaatha Upanishad
speaks of Brahman as"smaller than the small, greater than the great, sitting
yet moving, lying and yet going everywhere."[7] Brahman is light and not light,
in the sense that it is only because there is Brahman that there is light and
darkness. Again there exist small and the greater only because Brahman exists.

At the same time the word 'existence' cannot be attributed to Brahman and to the
empirical world in the same way, for Brahman's existence is different in nature.
The existence of Brahman is opposed to all empirical existence, so that in
comparison with this it can just as well be considered as non-existence. Brahman
is the being of all beings.[8] The nature of Brahman is so transcendent, that it
cannot be compared with anything in the world we know. At the same time, Brahman
is present in all its manifestations, for without the Being of Brahman nothing
can exist. Yet the empirical experience of Brahman is not possible. Thus,
Brahman is that unalterable and absolute Being which remains identical with
itself in all its manifestations. It is the basis and ground of all experience,
and is different from the space-time-cause world. Brahman has nothing similar to
it, nothing different from it, and no internal differentiation, for all these
are empirical distinctions. It is non-empirical, non-objective, wholly other,
but it is not non-being.[9]

Shankara repeatedly speaks of, and strongly defends, the absolute, unchangeable,
attributeless nature of Brahman, alluding to many texts in the scripture which
points to the nirgunaaBrahman.[10] Commenting on the Upanishadic text," as a
lump of salt is without interior or exterior, entire and purely saline taste,
even so is the self (Brahman) without exterior or interior, entire and pure
intelligence only,[11] Shankara points to the oneness of Brahman. In the lump of
salt there is nothing other than salt, so too Brahman is nothing other than
itself. It is the absolute being without a second.[12] Shankara also uses the
example of the sun reflecting in water and appearing as many, in order to bring
home the same truth. He says that just as the reflection of the sun in water
increases with the increase of water, and decreases with its reduction, it moves
when the water moves, and it differs as the water differs, so is the self. The
sun seem to conform to the characteristics of water, but in reality the sun
never has these increasing or decreasing qualities. So also Brahman, which from
the highest point of view always retains its sameness, seems to conform to such
characteristics as increase and decrease of the limiting adjunct owing to its
entry into such an adjunct as a body.[13]

For Shankara, therefore, Brahman is a principle of utter simplicity. There is no
duality in Brahman, for no qualities are found in his concept of Brahman. It is
also simple in the sense that it is not subject to inner contradictions, which
would make it changeable and transitory. Though Shankara uses logic and
arguments to understand the nature of Brahman and to speak of Brahman, still for
him in its reality Brahman is not a metaphysical postulate that can be proved
logically, but must be experienced in silence.[14] Thus, Brahman is one: It is
not a 'He', a personal being; nor is it an 'It', an impersonal concept. It is
that state which comes about when all subject-object distinctions are
obliterated. Ultimately, Brahman is a name for the experience of the timeless
plenitude of Being.[15]

2.1.2. AATMAN

The term 'Aatman' comes from the Sanskrit root 'an' which etymologically means
'to breathe'. It is often rendered as 'soul' or 'self', and signifies the most
fundamental being of the individual. There is no one who can deny the existence
of the self for it is the basis of all individual actions. Everyone is conscious
of the existence of his self and never thinks that he is not.[16] To doubt the
existence of the self would be a contradiction in terms because then one would
doubt the existence of the very doubter who engages in the doubt. The doubter of
the self is often compared by Advaitins to a person who searches for the
necklace while wearing it; or to a person who wears the spectacles on his face
and at the same time looks for them elsewhere. Without the existence of the
self, it is impossible for us to entertain the idea even of its being capable of
refutation. For the knowledge of the self is not established through the
so-called means of right knowledge, but it is self-established.[17] Thus, the
very existence of understanding and its functions presuppose an intelligence
known as the self which is different from them, which is self-established and
which they subserve. [18] The very possibility of knowledge and the means of
knowledge (pramaanas) have relevance if there exists the self which is the
source of all knowledge. Therefore, Aatman is beyond all doubt, "for it is the
essential nature of him who denies it."[19] Therefore, Shankara believed that
it was the nature of the self and not its reality, which is to be proved."The
self must seek itself in order to find what it is, not that it is."[20]

Having established the existence of the self, we can turn now to the discussion
of the nature of the Aatman. Aatman is the deathless, birthless, eternal and
real substance in every individual soul. It is the unchanging reality behind the
changing body, sense organs, mind and ego. It is the spirit, which is pure
consciousness and in unaffected by time, space and causality. It is limitless
and without a second. [21] Vedantins speak of three states of consciousness,
namely the waking state (vishwa), the dream state (taijasa), and the state of
dreamless sleep (pragna). The basic underlying principle which witnesses all
these three states of one's existence is the pure consciousness (chaitanyam),
the self. It is because of the presence of this ultimate substratum, that the
body, the senses, the mind and the intellect function properly. At the same time
it is not identified with these, nor affected by the changes that take place in
the body, in the other sense or intellectual functions. Thus, Aatman.is the
"unrelated witness of the experiences of the three stages, which include a man's
diverse activities."[22]

Shankara gives a number of illustrations to clarify the nature of the self,
especially in its role of being a witness (saakshin) to all activities of body,
mind, senses, and intellect. Firstly, Shankara gives the analogy of a king's
court. In the court, the king sits in his high throne as the observer of the
activities of his ministers, councilors and all the others present. But because
of his majesty as the king, he is unique and different from all. So too the self
which is pure consciousness dwells in the body as a witness to the functions of
the body, mind and other faculties, while at the same time it is different from
them by its natural light. Thus, the witness is the absolute consciousness, the
unchanging intelligence that underlies the finer and grosser bodies. It is
neither Iishvara nor jiva, but it is Aatman which is untouched by the
distinction of Iishvara and jiva. [23]

To those who come with the objection that the self is not only a mere observer
or witness, but also participates in the activities of the body, Shankara
replies using the analogy of the moon and the clouds. The movement of the clouds
on a moonlight night suggests that the moon is moving, whereas in fact it is the
clouds that move. Likewise, the activities of the mind and senses create the
illusion that the self is active. [24] To the one who would say that activity
belongs to the senses or other faculties and considers them the self, Shankara
gives the following illustrations. Just as the iron filings become active at the
presence of the magnet, so also it is the presence of the self that makes the
body, the senses and all the other faculties active. It is fire which makes the
iron ball red-hot. So also neither can the mind, the intellect or the body
combined make the self. It is the self which is the source of all their
activities. Just as a man who works with the help of the light that in inherent
in the sun does so without ever affecting the sun, so too the mind, the body,
the intellect, and the senses, engage in their respective activities with the
help of the self, but without exerting any influence on the self. [25] All these
illustrations point to the basic and absolute nature of the Aatman. The
following Upanishadic statement bear witness to this reality. "That the
imperishable is the unseen seer, the unheard hearer, the unthought thinker, the
ununderstood understander. Other than It, there is naught that hears, other than
It, there is naught that thinks; other than It, there is naught that
understands." [26]

The terms 'Brahman' and 'Aatman', both basically denote one and the same
underlying principle: the former stands for the underlying and unchanging
principle of the universe; while the latter refers to the unchanging reality in
the individuals. Both of these terms are used in the Upanishads and by the
interpreters as synonyms they do interchange these two terms in the same
sentence. Commenting on the Upanishadic statement: "Who is an Aatman? What is
Brahman?", [27] Shankara remarks: "By Brahman, the limitations implied in the
Aatman are removed, and by the Aatman the conception of Brahman as a divinity to
be worshipped is condemned."[28] These two terms fundamentally refer to one and
the same reality, which is the ground of everything. In other words, these two
terms stand for two different descriptions of the same ultimate reality, from
the point of view of the universe and the individual. The ultimate reality
represented by these two terms is the goal of paraa vidhya or Brahmaanubhava.

2.2. NATURE OF PARAA VIDHYAA

We have analyzed the goal of paraa vidhya, in the preceding section. Here, we
must attempt to clarify the nature of paraa vidhya, in which the
Brahman-realization is attained by the seeker. We elaborate the nature of paraavidhya, by looking into its meaning and clarifying the identity between Brahman
and Aatman.

2.2.1. MEANING

ParaaVidhya or Brahmaanubhava is the ultimate and monumental state of man. The
term 'Bramaanubhava' is a compound word, which consists of two Sanskrit words,
viz. 'Brahman' (absolute reality) and 'anubhava' (intuitive experience or
knowledge). The term 'anubhava' means not a mere theoretical or intellectual
knowledge, but the knowledge obtained through an integral experience. Anubhava
is not the immediacy of an uninterrupted sensation, where the existence and the
content of what is apprehended are separated. It is related to artistic insight
rather than to animal instinct; it is an immediate knowledge.[29] Thus,
literally the term 'Brahmaanubhava' means the integral and intuitive experience
of the absolute reality. When we speak of the intuitive experience of Brahman,
from the Advaitic point of view there arise many basic questions as to the
nature of Brahmaanubhava. How is it possible to have an experience if there is
no subject to experience and no object to be experienced? Besides, if there is
no duality in an experience, can it be described? If Brahmaanubhava is an
experience, and if it has no duality in itself as an experience, then what is
the nature of the experience involved in Brahmaanubhava? These questions stem
from the fact that the Advaita philosophy of Shankara does not permit the
possibility of duality in this fundamental experience.

Possession of intellectual knowledge about the nature of Brahman and that of
Brahmaanubhava is the first step towards the attainment of Brahmaanubhava.
Obtaining intellectual knowledge by the study of the Scriptures, especially by
understanding the meaning and the import of the Vedantic statements like 'That
art Thou', is necessary for Brahmaanubhava. In knowing the nature of Brahman
intellectually, one can work towards the attainment of Brahmaanubhava. When we
speak of the attainment of Brahmaanubhava, we use the term attainment' (labdha)
in a figurative sense (upacara). [30] In an empirical experience we attain some
new knowledge, i.e., knowledge which had not been previously existed as far as
we were concerned. In Brahmaanubhava, however, we do not attain anything new,
but only realize what we are, i.e., our true nature, the identity with Brahman.
According to Shankara, we are Brahman, and Brahmaanubhava is that experience by
which we recognize our own real nature.

Many texts in Shankara's works point to the fact that the attainment of
Brahmaanubhava consists in the recognition and the realization that one's real
and true nature is Brahman. "The state of being Brahman is the same as the
realization of the self."[31]"Perfect knowledge ... is the realization of the
Aatman as one with Brahman."[32] "When a man knows the Aatman, and sees it
inwardly and outwardly as the ground of all things animate and inanimate he has
indeed reached liberation."[33] "No man who knows Brahman to be different from
himself is a knower of truth."[34] "My self is pure consciousness, free from
all distinctions and sufferings."[35] Thus, Brahmaanubhava which is the
experience of identity with Brahman, is an attainment only from the point of
view of the aspirant or the seeker of truth. From the absolute of paramaartha
point of view there is no attainment of Brahman.

2.2.2. IDENTITY OF BRAHMAN AND AATMAN

From what has been said about the nature of Brahmaanubhava, so far, there arises
the question, how, at all, can we know or have any kind of knowledge about this
experience called Brahmaanubhava? No empirical means of knowledge (pramaana) can
help us in this regard, except scriptural knowledge. Though scriptural knowledge
is limited to the level of duality, still it provides knowledge about the
reality of Brahman and enables us to have an intellectual understanding of
Brahman.

Shankara holds the authority of the scriptural testimony in our intellectual
understanding of Brahman. Nothing else on earth, except the scriptures, can
reveal to us the nature of Brahman and of Brahmaanubhava. In this regard
Shankara is very clear; he does not substitute any pramaana than the scriptural
testimony, for the attainment of the intellectual knowledge about Brahman. He
does make use of other pramaanas, but only to elucidate, clarify and demonstrate
what he accepts on the basis of scriptural authority about Brahman and
Brahmaanubhava. He says," The fact of everything having its self in Brahman
cannot be grasped [intellectually], without the aid of scriptural passage"That
art Thou'.[36]

The word 'upanishad' (scripture) derives its meaning from its capacity to lead
to the truth those who, having been thoroughly dissatisfied with the things seen
and unseen, seek liberation from ignorance, which is the source of bondage and
suffering. The Upanishads are capable of accomplishing all these, for in them
the highest end of life is embodied.[37]

Authentic human destiny: the paths of Shankara and Heidegger
Vensus A. George, Council for Research in Values & (August 1998), pp. 47-54

The self-realization involves an identity-experience, wherein one
realizes his oneness with the ultimate Brahman. Therefore, self-
realization is of the nature of Brahman, i.e., without subject-object
duality, eternal and uncaused, immediate and direct, besides being
incomprehensible, indescribable and trans-empirical. Brahmaanubhava
is not available to the empirical experience, as the scope of the
former goes far beyond that of the latter. The words and languages we
use refer to the phenomenal world and relative realities. As Brahman
is beyond the phenomenal, Brhamaamubhava cannot be described in
ordinary language. Therefore, one can speak of self-realization only
by way of negation, by denying the qualities of the empirical
experience superimposed on it. For instance, the qualities that are
attributed to Brahman, such as reality (satyam), knowledge (jnaanam)
and infinitude (aanandam) are not positive descriptions of Brahman,
but are mere negations of qualities superimposed on Brahman, such as
unreality, ignorance and finitude. Thus, all statements we make about
Brahman, Brahmaamubhava and Brahmajnaani are mere approximations in
the light of the phenomenal knowledge. Such a philosophical position
makes self-realization, for all practical purposes, incommunicable.
Since, Brahmaanbhava is unknowable and indescribable, it cannot be
communicated by the Brahmajnaani to any one in the realm of
phenomenal existence. Since Brahman-experience cannot be passed on to
the other in any form of communication, it would always remain the
subjective experience of the Brahmajnaani. Any attempt to communicate
it, using phenomenal language, would be nothing else but a mere
phenomenal approximation of the transcendental experience. Such
approximations would never take one to the core of self-realization,
as it is incommunicable.

4.1.3. Insignificance of the Other's Role in Brahmaajijnaasa

Shankarite path to self-realization, viz., the movement from
ignorance to knowledge, is a way that is basically walked by the
aspirant alone. The only involvement of the other, on the aspirant's
effort to attain the goal of Brahmaanubhava, is the Guru. He is a
detached guide, who helps the student to understand the true import
of the Vedaantic statements, especially at the hearing (sravana)
state of Brahmaajijnaasa. The relationship that exists between the
aspirant and the Guru is that of a teacher and a student. In this
relationship, the aspirant is totally obedient to the Guru, does
personal service to him, looks after the daily chores in the ashram
and listens to the teachings of the Guru by sitting at his feet. It
is not a one to one, I-Thou relationship, in which one enters into
the life of the other as an equal partner. Other than the teacher,
the aspirant does not have any significant relationship with any
other person. This is clear from what the aspirant does in the three
stages of Brahmaajijnaasa, viz., sravana, manaana and nididhyaasana.
In these three stages of Brahmaajijnaasa the aspirant firstly, hears
the instructions of the teacher personally. Secondly he reflects on
the content of the Guru's teachings in solitude, so as to remove the
apparent contradictions and to be intellectually convinced of the
true import of the scriptural aphorisms. Thirdly, he meditates in
silence on the truths he achieved through hearing and reflection. The
various stages of Brahmaajijnaasa in the jnaana path are so centered
on the individual seeker and his personal effort the presence of the
other in the process is seen as an interference that would distract
him from the goal of self-realization. So the seeker is basically all
alone through out the process of Brahmaajijnaasa. Even after the
seeker has attained self-realization, he does not need to have any
relationship with the other or to a community of others, because all
such relationships would be irrelevant and unreal to the
Brahmajnaani. Thus, Shankara's path to self-realization does not give
any significance to the I-Thou relationship that is genuine and inter-
subjective communion of hearts between human persons...

From what has been said, it is clear that Shankara by his doctrine of
Brahmaanubhava and the self's absolute oneness with Brahman, does not
speak of a dissolution of the world. At the attainment of
Brahmaanubhava, the external world is not destroyed or annihilated.
But, the Brahmajnaani views the world no longer from the phenomenal
point of view. He sees everything in terms of oneness, which is
characteristic of Brahmaanubhava. Thus, from the point of view of the
liberated man the phenomenal world is real in the relative sense,
because the state he is in, i.e., his absolute identity with Brahman
is that which is really real. As long as one tries to understand
Shankara's Advaita philosophy purely from the phenomenal point of
view, he will always meet with contradictions, for what is absolutely
true is the transcendental and trans-empirical.

4.2.2. Advaita Vedaanta as Pantheism

Many consider Advaita Vedaanta to be pantheistic, because self-
realization consists in the identity of the self and Brahman. Those
who hold this view cite the mahaavaakya 'That art Thou' in their
support.9 In interpreting the above mentioned Vedaantic aphorism, we
say that it cannot be interpreted in the direct meaning of 'That' and
'Thou', viz., Iishvara and jiiva, since such a union between the
supreme Lord and the limited soul is not possible. It its implied
meaning 'That' refers to Brahman and 'Thou' refers to Aatman. Brahman
is the absolute and eternal reality in the universe and Aatman is the
pure consciousness, the eternal reality behind the individual self.
Brahman and Aatman are eternally identical. In Brahmaanubhava, as we
know, there is not experiencer and the experienced. What really
happens in Brahmaanubhava is that the self, removed of all ignorance
and its effects, realizes its eternal identity with Brahman. Thus,
Brahmaanubhava cannot be considered as involving an identity between
supreme Lord and the soul. Besides, the terms, 'union' and
'identity', are used figuratively because there is not new identity
reached in Brahmaanubhava, but only the existing eternal identity
between Brahman and Aatman is realized. Again there is no notion of
God (as a theist would understand) in Shankara's thought. He does not
consider Brahman as a deity to be worshipped or to be devoted to, but
as the absolute ontological reality behind all the phenomena, which
is identical with the self, the pure consciousness. So, for Shankara
Brahman is not to be worshipped, but to be realized. If Brahman is
viewed as a deity to be worshipped, and such a deity is seen as being
identical with everything in the universe, then we have a pantheistic
world-view. Since Shankara does not consider Brahman as deity who is
identical with the universe, it seems clear that in Shankara's
Advaita there is no trace of pantheism. Advaita goes beyond the
distinction of theism, atheism and pantheism, as the question of God
is not at all an issue in Advaita Vedaanta. Therefore, Shankarite
thought does not involve any form of 'isms' that views the absolute
reality in terms of Godhead. But rather it is a mystical philosophy
that aims at making everyone aware of his true ontological nature,
i.e., Brahman and move towards attaining it.”

THE APOCALYPSE OF THE SPIRIT-PARACLETEThe fulfillment of the promised divine eschatological instruction

“The original meaning of the word ‘apocalypse’, derived from the Greek apokalypsis, is in fact not the cataclysmic end of the world, but an ‘unveiling’, or ‘revelation’, a means whereby one gains insight into the present.” (Kovacs, 2013, 2) An apocalypse (Greek: apokalypsis meaning “an uncovering”) is in religious contexts knowledge or revelation, a disclosure of something hidden, “a vision of heavenly secrets that can make sense of earthly realities.” (Ehrman 2014, 59)

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (1923-2011) was Christian by birth, Hindu by marriage, and Paraclete by duty.“The Paraclete will come (15:26; 16:7, 8, 13) as Jesus has come into the world (5:43; 16:28; 18:37)... The Paraclete will take the things of Christ (the things that are mine, ek tou emou) and declare them (16:14-15). Bishop Fison describes the humility of the Spirit, 'The true Holy Spirit of God does not advertise Herself: She effaces Herself and advertises Jesus.' ... It is by the outgoing activity of the Spirit that the divine life communicates itself in and to the creation. The Spirit is God-in-relations. The Paraclete is the divine self-expression which will be and abide with you, and be in you (14:16-17). The Spirit's work is described in terms of utterance: teach you, didasko (14:26), remind you, hypomimnesko (14:26), testify, martyro (15:26), prove wrong, elencho (16:8), guide into truth, hodego (16:13), speak, laleo (16:13, twice), declare, anangello (16:13, 14, 15). The johannine terms describe verbal actions which intend a response in others who will receive (lambano), see (theoreo), or know (ginosko) the Spirit. Such speech-terms link the Spirit with the divine Word. The Spirit's initiatives imply God's personal engagement with humanity. The Spirit comes to be with others; the teaching Spirit implies a community of learners; forgetful persons need a prompter to remind them; one testifies expecting heed to be paid; one speaks and declares in order to be heard. The articulate Spirit is the correlative of the listening, Spirit-informed community.The final Paraclete passage closes with a threefold repetition of the verb she will declare (anangello), 16:13-15. The Spirit will declare the things that are to come (v.13), and she will declare what is Christ's (vv. 14, 15). The things of Christ are a message that must be heralded... The intention of the Spirit of truth is the restoration of an alienated, deceived humanity... The teaching role of the Paraclete tends to be remembered as a major emphasis of the Farewell Discourses, yet only 14:26 says She will teach you all things. (Teaching is, however, implied when 16:13-15 says that the Spirit will guide you into all truth, and will speak and declare.) Franz Mussner remarks that the word used in 14:26, didaskein, "means literally 'teach, instruct,' but in John it nearly always means to reveal.” (Stevick 2011, 292-7)

“Jesus therefore predicts that God will later send a human being to Earth to take up the role defined by John .i.e. to be a prophet who hears God's words and repeats his message to man.”M. Bucaille, The Bible, the Qur'n, and Science

“The Kingdom of God stands as a comprehensive term for all that the messianic salvation included... is something to be sought here and now (Mt. 6:33) and to be received as children receive a gift (Mk. 10:15 = Lk. 18:16-17).”G. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament

“But today is the day I declare that I am the one who has to save the humanity. I declare I am the one who is Adishakti, who is the Mother of all the Mothers, who is the Primordial Mother, the Shakti, the desire of God, who has incarnated on this Earth to give its meaning to itself; to this creation, to human beings and I am sure through My Love and patience and My powers I am going to achieve it.

I was the one who was born again and again. But now in my complete form and complete powers I have come on this Earth not only for salvation of human beings, not only for their emancipation, but for granting them the Kingdom of Heaven, the joy, the bliss that your Father wants to bestow upon you.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-RuhLondon, UK—December 2, 1979
“I am the one about which Christ has talked... I am the Holy Spirit who has incarnated on this Earth for your realization.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-RuhNew York, USA—September 30, 1981
“Tell all the nations and tell all the people all over the Great Message that the Time of Resurrection is here. Now, at this time, and that you are capable of doing it.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-RuhCowley Manor Seminar, UK—July 31, 1982
Guest: “Hello Mother.”Shri Mataji: “Yes.”Guest: “I wanted to know, is the Cool Breeze (Pneuma) that you have spoken about, you feel on the hands the Cool Wind of the Holy Spirit, as spoken about in the Bible?” Shri Mataji: “Yes. Yes, yes, same thing, same thing. You have done the good job now, I must say.”Interviewer: “Is it the Holy Spirit?” Shri Mataji: “Yes, of course, is the Holy Spirit.”Guest: “Aha... I am feeling it now on my hand through the [not clear]”Shri Mataji: “It’s good.”Interviewer: “Did you want to say anything more than that?” Guest: “No, I just... That’s all I wanted to know because I...” Shri Mataji: “Because you are thoughtless now. Enjoy yourself.”Guest: “Thank you.”

Second Guest: “I just want to ask Mother about a quotation from the Bible.”Interviewer: “Yes, what’s that?”Guest: “It says, ‘But the comfort of the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in My name would teach you all things.’ I would like to ask Her about that.” Interviewer: “Could you just repeat the quotation again?”Guest: “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things.” Interviewer: “And that’s from where?” Guest: “John chapter 14, verse 26.”Shri Mataji: “I think you should take your realization and then you will know the answer to it. Because, logically if it points out to one person, then you have to reach the conclusion, isn’t it? That’s a logical way of looking at things. But I am not going to say anything or claim anything. It is better you people find out yourself.”Interviewer: “Does that answer your question?” Guest: “Is the, is the Comforter on the Earth at the present time? Has the Comforter incarnated? Mataji should be able to tell us this because She said that through these vibrations on Her hands, She ...”Shri Mataji: “Yes, She is very much here and She’s talking to you now. Can you believe that?”Guest: “Well, I feel something cool [Pneuma/Prana/Chi] on my hand. Is that some indication of the ...?” Shri Mataji: “Yes, very much so. So that’s the proof of the thing. You’ve already started feeling it in your hands.”Guest: “Can I?”Shri Mataji: “Ask the question, ‘Mother, are you the Comforter?’”Guest: “Mother, are you the Comforter?”Shri Mataji: “Ask it thrice.” Guest: “Mother, are you the Comforter?”Shri Mataji: “Again.”Guest: “Mother, are you the Comforter?”Shri Mataji: “Now, what do you get?”Guest: “Oh, I feel this kind of cool tingling [Pneuma/Prana/Chi] passing all through my body.” Shri Mataji: “That’s the answer now.”

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (1923-2011): Christian by birth, Hindu by marriage and Paraclete by duty.“The Paraclete and the disciples (vv. 25-26): The theme of departure (cf. vv. 1-6; vv. 18-24) returns. There are two "times" in the experience of the disciples: the now as Jesus speaks to them (v. 25) and the future time when the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in the name of Jesus, will be with them (v. 26). The Paraclete will replace Jesus' physical presence, teaching them all things and recalling for them everything he has said (v. 26). As Jesus is the Sent One of the Father (cf. 4:34; 5:23; 24, 30, 37; 6:38-40; 7:16; 8:16, 18, 26; 12:44-49), so is the Paraclete sent by the Father. The mission and purpose of the former Paraclete, Jesus (cf. 14:13-14), who speaks and teaches "his own" will continue into the mission and purpose of the "other Paraclete" (cf. v. 16) who teaches and brings back the memory of all that Jesus has said. The time of Jesus is intimately linked with the time after Jesus, and the accepted meaning of a departure has been undermined. The inability of the disciples to understand the words and deeds of Jesus will be overcome as they "remember" what he had said (cf. 2:22) and what had been written of him and done to him (cf. 12:16). The "remembering" will be the fruit of the presence of the Paraclete with the disciples in the in-between-time. In v. 16 Jesus focused on the inability of the world to know the Paraclete, but in v. 26 the gift of the Paraclete to "his own" is developed. As Jesus was with the disciples (v. 25), so will the Paraclete be with the disciples in the midst of hostility and rejection (v. 16). As the story has insisted that Jesus' teaching has revealed God to his disciples, so will the Paraclete recall and continue Jesus' revelation of God to the disciples (v. 26).” (Harrington 1998, 412)

“This is the transformation that has worked, of which Christ has talked, Mohammed Sahib has talked, everybody has talked about this particular time when people will get transformed.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-RuhChistmas Puja, Ganapatipule, India—25 December 1997
“The Resurrection of Christ has to now be collective Resurrection. This is what is Mahayoga. Has to be the collective Resurrection.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-RuhEaster Puja, London, UK—11 April 1982
“Today, Sahaja Yaga has reached the state of Mahayoga, which is en-masse evolution manifested through it. It is this day’s Yuga Dharma. It is the way the Last Judgment is taking place. Announce it to all the seekers of truth, to all the nations of the world, so that nobody misses the blessings of the divine to achieve their meaning, their absolute, their Spirit.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-RuhMAHA AVATAR, ISSUE 1, JUL-SEP 1980
“The main thing that one has to understand is that the time has come for you to get all that is promised in the scriptures, not only in the Bible but all all the scriptures of the world. The time has come today that you have to become a Christian, a Brahmin, a Pir, through your Kundalini awakening only. There is no other way. And that your Last Judgment is also now.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-Ruh“You see, the Holy Ghost is the Mother. When they say about the Holy Ghost, She is the Mother... Now, the principle of Mother is in every, every scripture — has to be there. Now, the Mother's character is that She is the one who is the Womb, She is the one who is the Mother Earth, and She is the one who nourishes you. She nourishes us. You know that. And this Feminine thing in every human being resides as this Kundalini.”

Total number of Recorded Talks 3058, Public Programs 1178, Pujas 651 and Other (private conversations) 1249

“What are they awaiting but for the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Its Signs have already come. What good will their Reminder be to them when it does arrive?” (Qur'n, 47:18) “As the above verse indicates, God has revealed some of Doomsday's signs in the Qur'n. In Surat az-Zukhruf 43:61, God informs us that 'He [Jesus] is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it...' Thus we can say, based particularly on Islamic sources but also on the Old Testament and the New Testament, that we are living in the End Times.” Harun Yahya

“Concerning what are they disputing?Concerning the Great News. [5889]About which they cannot agree.Verily, they shall soon (come to) know!Verily, verily they shall soon (come to) know!”

surah 78:1-5 An Naba (The Great News) 5889. Great News: usually understood to mean the News or Message of the Resurrection.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'nAmana Corporation, 1989

[Moderator]: “Any other questions?”[Audience]: “Pardon me for asking this question, but, earlier you talked about the Resurrection and you mentioned about the scriptures, where like in the Hindus scriptures they talk about the Kalki Avatar who will come for the Resurrection, and for the Christians, I know they talk about the return of Christ and all the religions talk about this Resurrection and the belief in the coming of the Messiah. So I just want to know since you say you are going to give the resurrection to us, what is your station?”Shri Mataji: “In Russia?”[Audience]: “And are you the promised Messiah? Shri Mataji, are you?”Shri Mataji: “I see now I am not going to tell you anything about myself, to be very frank. Because see Christ said He was the Son of God, and they crucified Him. I don't want to get crucified. You have to find out. When you become the Spirit you will know what I am. I don't want to say anything about myself.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-RuhToronto, Canada—October 5, 1993“Jesus then goes on the offensive against the scribes and Pharisees, pronouncing seven woes against them (Matt. 23:1-36). The final woe identifiers them with all those in Israel's history who have murdered and opposed the prophets. From Abel to Zechariah, all the blood of the righteous will come on them as they typologically fulfill this pattern in the murder of Jesus (23:29-36). They are the wicked tenants who think to kill the son and take his inheritance (21:38). They are seed of the serpent, a brood of vipers (23:33). Their house (the temple?) is desolate, and they will not see Jesus again until they bless him as he comes in the name of the Lord (23:37-39). Somehow, through the judgments Jesus announces against them, salvation will apparently come even for the people of Israel. As Olmstead puts it, Matthew "dares to hope for the day when many of Israel's sons and daughters will embrace Israel's Messiah (23:39), and in that hope engages in a continued mission in her."” Hamilton 2010, 377
“It is the Mother who can awaken the Kundalini, and that the Kundalini is your own Mother. She is the Holy Ghost within you, the Adi Shakti, and She Herself achieves your transformation. By any talk, by any rationality, by anything, it cannot be done.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-Ruh-Devi
“She is your pure Mother. She is the Mother who is individually with you. Forget your concepts, and forget your identifications. Please try to understand She is your Mother, waiting for ages to give you your real birth. She is the Holy Ghost within you. She has to give you your realization, and She's just waiting and waiting to do it.”

THE MOTHER: Messiah-Paraclete-RuhSydney, Australia—Mar 22 1981“The Kundalini is your own mother; your individual mother. And She has tape-recorded all your past and your aspirations. Everything! And She rises because She wants to give you your second birth. But She is your individual mother. You don't share Her with anybody else. Yours is a different, somebody else's is different because the tape-recording is different. We say She is the reflection of the Adi Shakti who is called as Holy Ghost in the Bible.”

“The Great Goddess is both wholly transcendent and fully immanent: beyond space and time, she is yet embodied within all existent beings; without form as pure, infinite consciousness (cit) ... She is the universal, cosmic energy known as Sakti, and the psychophysical, guiding force designated as the Kundalini (Serpent Power) resident within each individual. She is eternal, without origin or birth, yet she is born in this world in age after age, to support those who seek her assistance. Precisely to provide comfort and guidance to her devotees, she presents herself in the Devi Gita to reveal the truths leading both to worldly happiness and to the supreme spiritual goals: dwelling in her Jeweled Island and mergence into her own perfect being.” (Brown, 1998, 2)

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